Is This Norwegian TV Series the Future of Television?

On the surface, an American adaptation of a Norwegian teen series might not sound very intriguing. But the Norwegian series Skam, which The New York Times reports will soon make its way to the U.S. and Canada courtesy of Simon Fuller, is not just another show; it’s a sensation. And it’s made waves for one major reason: its unique distribution model.

In essence, Skam won’t leave its fans alone. Throughout the week, the Times explains, the series posts four to six scenes on its Web site at the time when those moments would occur in real life—a Saturday-night party gets posted on Saturday night; a Tuesday morning class goes up Tuesday morning. The scenes are released as surprises; at the end of the week, all of them will appear within the show’s new episode. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation also posts supplemental material online, such as text messages sent between characters. Each character also has an Instagram account—a clever idea that seemingly borrows from fan culture—and sometimes the series creates Facebook pages for events within the show.

This strategy has allowed the series to take Norway by storm, according to the Times:

Now finishing up its third season, it’s become the most-watched web TV
show in Norwegian history since it first aired in September 2015,
averaging 1.2 million unique visitors a week to the site and more than
a million people streaming the weekly TV episode, in a country with a
population of five million people.

Additionally, the show has already amassed an international following: according to the Times, this year its viewership in the U.S., Russia, and France ballooned by double digits. It’s particularly popular among L.G.B.T. communities.

All of this piqued Fuller’s interest, the Times reports, along with the show’s quiet, intimate depictions of its characters and their relationships. The series, set in Oslo, covers a wide swath of topics—per the Times, its characters “navigate sex, school, drinking, depression, rape, religion, coming out and the pains of status anxiety, in real life and online.” Each season focuses on one character. The show’s English-language adaptation will be titled Shame.

Could this strategy be the future of TV? It’s certainly worked for Skam. Let’s see how well it does for Shame.

WORST: 10,000 insults per minute

Ari Gold (Entourage) was fun from a distance because you knew he wasn't real and he couldn't yell at you. As a boss, he was a sadist wrapped in a $10,000 suit. Did Lloyd ever look like he was having a good time?

Photo: HBO

BEST: The best way to an employee’s heart is…

Liz Lemon (30 Rock) understood that the most important thing in life is snacks. That's good management. Give the people snacks and they will like you. Withhold the snacks and you will be reviled. Life is not complicated.

Photo: NBC

WORST: Bad phone manners

How many times did Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) have to hit his bartender in the face with a rotary phone for you to think he was not such a good boss? In almost every episode, he gave us a reason to hate him—and yet we wanted to see him succeed. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Photo: HBO

WORST: Literally stole Christmas

The list of offenses committed by Mr. Burns (The Simpsons) is entirely too long to fit on this screen. He’s been known to steal candy from babies, and his office has more torture devices than the third scene in an Indiana Jones movie. But worst of all, as reported by Springfield TV anchor Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns stole Christmas from 1981 to 1985.

Photo: FOX

BEST: Take your employee to the movies day

Sure, J. Peterman (Seinfeld) took Elaine to The English Patient and fired her for not liking it, but still: He took her to the movies. If your boss takes you to the movies, you say you liked it. Gods of Egypt? COMPELLING.

Photo: NBC

WORST: Secrets and lies

[Frank Underwood (House of Cards) turns to the camera]: Would you want to work for someone who was constantly whispering his darkest secrets to the audience over his shoulder? No, you would not. Sorry, Frank.

Photo: Netflix

BEST: Kitchen nightmares

At first, nobody respected Monica (Friends) as a chef or a boss. But a great boss thinks outside the box. So she hired Joey for the sole purpose of firing him in front of the other employees. It worked, and she didn’t have to ax anyone who actually worked there. That’s thoughtful management.

Photo: NBC

WORST: 10,000 insults per minute

Ari Gold (Entourage) was fun from a distance because you knew he wasn't real and he couldn't yell at you. As a boss, he was a sadist wrapped in a $10,000 suit. Did Lloyd ever look like he was having a good time?

HBO

BEST: The best way to an employee’s heart is…

Liz Lemon (30 Rock) understood that the most important thing in life is snacks. That's good management. Give the people snacks and they will like you. Withhold the snacks and you will be reviled. Life is not complicated.

NBC

WORST: Bad phone manners

How many times did Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) have to hit his bartender in the face with a rotary phone for you to think he was not such a good boss? In almost every episode, he gave us a reason to hate him—and yet we wanted to see him succeed. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

HBO

WORST: Literally stole Christmas

The list of offenses committed by Mr. Burns (The Simpsons) is entirely too long to fit on this screen. He’s been known to steal candy from babies, and his office has more torture devices than the third scene in an Indiana Jones movie. But worst of all, as reported by Springfield TV anchor Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns stole Christmas from 1981 to 1985.

FOX

BEST: “The Boss” of bosses

When an employee drags company memorabilia (a World Series trophy) behind his car, runs onto the field of play in a bodysuit, and sleeps under his desk, you should probably fire him. George Steinbrenner (Seinfeld) never could pull the trigger on George Constanza; the only thing he cared about was calzones. That’s a man we should all look up to.

NBC

BEST: No. 2 in command, No. 1 in our hearts

Is Selina Meyer (Veep) selfish? Yes. Is she insensitive? Obviously. But think about the way Gary looks at her; she’s everything he’s ever wanted from a boss. It’s nearly impossible to get her approval, yet when Gary does, it’s magic. If she’s good enough for Gary, she’s good enough for us.

HBO

WORST: In like a Lyon

The last thing you need is a boss with a short fuse who bursts into a room unannounced and starts yelling. You require enough advance warning to give yourself time to close out of Facebook and pretend you’re reading a work email from six weeks ago about a fridge cleaning. Cookie (Empire) just doesn’t make that possible.

Fox

BEST: Dundie Award winner

Sure, Michael Scott (The Office) was a doofus, but he was a lovable doofus. He cooked his foot on a George Foreman grill and still came to work. He organized "Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure" after hitting her with his car. And, most important, he won the Dundie Award for “Best Boss” in 2011. The people have spoken.

NBC

BEST: A walk in the park

Finding fault with Leslie Knope (Parks & Rec) was like trying to think of a fake weakness for a job interview: “Uhhhh, she cared too much?” She wanted what was best for everyone, and she took whipped cream in her coffee. Commendable!

NBC

WORST: Bourbon and business

Any boss who encourages drinking at the office really has to work to be bad. Don Draper (Mad Men) was bad: a womanizer, unreliable, and disturbingly good at persuading people to kill themselves.

AMC

WORST: The entire wealthy family who lost everything

Being the smartest person in the Bluth family (Arrested Development) is like being the soberest person at a Phish concert. Just because Michael Bluth wasn’t as bad as the rest of his family (no offense to Buster’s 18th-Century Agrarian business classes) doesn’t mean he was a good boss.

Fox

BEST: Take your employee to the movies day

Sure, J. Peterman (Seinfeld) took Elaine to The English Patient and fired her for not liking it, but still: He took her to the movies. If your boss takes you to the movies, you say you liked it. Gods of Egypt? COMPELLING.

NBC

WORST: Secrets and lies

[Frank Underwood (House of Cards) turns to the camera]: Would you want to work for someone who was constantly whispering his darkest secrets to the audience over his shoulder? No, you would not. Sorry, Frank.

Netflix

BEST: Kitchen nightmares

At first, nobody respected Monica (Friends) as a chef or a boss. But a great boss thinks outside the box. So she hired Joey for the sole purpose of firing him in front of the other employees. It worked, and she didn’t have to ax anyone who actually worked there. That’s thoughtful management.